Tag Archives: Sausage

Wow, now that I’ve posted an SMS recipe on a Sunday, let’s try getting back into blogging on a regular basis! It finally started to feel like fall here today. I think everyone on campus walked out of their apartment or dorm this morning and promptly turned around to grab a coat. It was one of those days that’s perfectly comfortable in the sun, but when there’s a breeze or you’re in the shade you need to keep your hands in your pockets. Well, at least, I did. But I get cold just thinking about snow.

This baked casserole-style meal was perfect for this kind of weather. My roommates and I only eat together about twice each week because of conflicting schedules, date nights, etc. Oh, and because we all have such different tastes… Everyone liked this dish, though! It’s a slightly spicy, surprisingly filling rice and noodle dish, flavored with onions and peppers. It’s a little bit time-consuming because of the baking, but could easily be prepped the night before. I think next time I’ll reduce the onions to 3/4 cup, or maybe caramelize the onions beforehand, because the onion taste was a little bit strong for our tastes. Other than that, though, we loved this! We had it with leftover SMS muffins that I froze, which were a lovely side.

All of your ingredients!

No product placement intended, but I went to a couple of different stores and this was the only package of two pouches that measured 4.2 ounces, so I’m assuming it’s what Ms. Deen was referring to.

Brown your sausage. This was the only other small source of confusion, I didn’t know if the recipe meant Italian sausage, country sausage, or what. I went with Italian.

Bring your water to a boil, and add your rice and the chicken noodle soup pouches. Boil for 10 minutes.

Chop your onion, green (or orange) pepper, and celery.

Add your veggies, sausage, butter, and all the spices except the paprika and almonds. Pour the mixture into a greased 2-quart baking dish. Honestly, if you have a 2 1/2-quart dish, I would seriously recommend that. If not, make sure you put a baking sheet under the dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crumble the sausage and cook in a skillet over medium heat until nicely browned; drain well and set aside. In a large, heavy pot, bring the water to a boil, add the rice and soup mix, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, celery, butter, seasonings, and parsley. Pour into a greased 2-quart casserole dish, top with almonds, and sprinkle with paprika. Bake the casserole for 40-50 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.